Loss and Gain
by Dragonlover7690
Summary: When Jakes  cousin moves back to NYC Rose  is in for the adventure of a lifetime. AU. Hunted and Ski Trip do not take place. Read and Review.
1. The Email, and the New Girl

A/N : I do not own American Dragon . Any Characters that are made by me are not in the show, just this fanfic. I am also sorry to say that I had to repost this story on this account because I lost my password to my old one.

Jake woke with a yawn and ran a hand through his black and green hair. He hauled himself out of his bed and walked over to his desk and sat down.

"Better check my e-mails." He thought, as he pulled up his email account. He casually read through the names on the list.

"Lets see, one from Spud, junk mail, contest junk…huh?" Jake blinked a few times and reread the small new message.

_Dear Jake:_

_How are you? It's been a while since I wrote to ya last. Been so busy here it ain't even funny. Dad got a promotion and we are busy packing right now. Last I heard was that you got the job of being the family dragon guardian. Congrats to ya. Well Tenderfoot, you ain't gonna believe this… Dad and me are moving to the NYC! Dad finally got the position he wanted in the company, and he said we won't be moving till after my senior year of high school. Plus I am going to be attending Millard Fillmore Middle school. Can't wait to see you and Haley again cousin. _

_Signed _

_Ashley_

Jake sat there for a moment as he slowly absorbed this information, then slowly a smile formed. He printed out the email and then shot down the stairs giving an almighty yell.

"MOM, DAD, HALEY YOUR NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS!" he shouted down the hall as he bolted into the kitchen. His father and sister were at the table while his mother was at the stove. His father looked up from his paper and smiled.

" What's got you so excited there Jaker's?" he asked. Jake just smiled and tried to not yell at the top of his lungs out of his excitement.

" I just got an email from Uncle Justin and Ashley. Your never gonna guess what they wrote."

" What?"

" Their moving here to New York! And their gonna stay for good this time. How awesome is that!" He said.

His dad , mom and sister looked at him like he was insane, then they all smiled. With the exception of Haley of course. She frowned.

" Who's Uncle Justin?" she asked. Jake frowned then groaned as he remembered that Haley had very few memories of their eccentric Uncle before since he and Ashley had moved away when she was a few months old and he himself was a mere seven years old. Jake sighed.

" He's mom's older brother. He moved away a few months after you were born, Ashley is his only daughter. You'll see when they get here." He explained as he began to head back up stairs to get ready for school.

Rose sighed as she watched her crush walk down the hallway towards his locker. She smiled and walked purposefully towards him. As she did so she could not help but look him over as she had done many times before. As usual his hair was in its trademark style, and he had on his red leather jacket. He had his book bag slung over one shoulder and he had his skateboard under one arm. Rose felt her face heat up as she realized that she had been staring at him WAY to long.

_" God he is so CUTE!"_ she thought. She remembered when she had first met the young Asian-American skater on her first day of school. She asked her friend Courtney the next day who he was. After she finally got a name to put with the face she was determined to get to know him better. For the last few months she had been trying to get him to ask her out, only to be interrupted by either the local village idiot Brad Harrison, or by her duties with the Hunts clan. But this time for sure she would get him to hang out with her at the least. As she walked closer she noticed the extremely happy grin on his face as he opened his locker as he talked to his two best friends. Then she managed to hear the last part of the conversation they were having.

Jake was looking flustered about something.

"Forget it Jakey, we know what ya meant. We still cool." His friend Trixie said. Jake smiled and turned around.

"Oh, Hey Rose. What's up?"

"yo so Jakey what's with the smile? You got Rottwoods class today remember?" Trixie said in her somewhat sassy way.

" Yeah bro, what's going on?" Spud asked as he used his yo-yo. Jake just smiled and then finally spoke.

" Ashley's back!" he said, trying hard to control his excitement. Trixie and Spud just stared.

" You mean your cousin who dresses like a guy?" Spud asked. Jake frowned. He hated it when people talked about how his cousin liked to wear shirts and baggy jeans instead of dresses or other girly stuff.

" She hates dresses, and yes that's her. She's gonna start school here tomorrow and I promised I'd spend the whole week showing her around. Besides I haven't seen her in seven years. She's my best friend….I'm mean you guys are to, but well she's family so…" Jake began getting flustered. Finally Trixie spoke up with a smile.

" Forget it Jakey, we know what ya meant. We still cool." She said. Jake gave a relived sigh. Then he turned around and nearly bumped into Rose, who had just walked up to him.

" Oh, Hey Rose. What's up?" he asked, far to happy to be nervous at the moment.

Rose grinned when Jake finally noticed her.

" Oh, Hey Rose. What's up?" he asked her.

" oh, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out with me tonight, Courtney had to bail out on me tonight, so I was hoping you'd like to go?" She asked hopefully.

_"please say yes, please say yes."_ She chanted in her mind. She watched as Jake's smile turned into a slight frown.

"oh,….well…I'd love to…" he began. Rose felt her heart beat faster.

" Great…" she began. She faltered however when she saw his frown

"but, I can't." Jake finished. Rose felt her heart break a bit. _" I guess this is pay back for that time I went with Brad to that crazy dance."_ She thought sadly. However , she knew that Jake was not the kind of guy to hold that kind of mistake against someone, so that couldn't be the issue.

"oh, why?" she asked , her feelings slightly hurt by his reply.

" Well, my best friend just moved back here and I promised I'd hang out with her the whole week until she got settled. Maybe some other time?" Jake said.

"Oh, I see,.. Yeah, we can hang out anytime." She said with a small smile although it didn't reach her eyes. " I guess I see you later then."

" yeah, uh….s-see ya." Jake replied. He then turned, shut his locker and headed off for class. He felt bad for turning her down, but when it came to his family he never broke his promises. _" I'll make it up to her somehow."_ He thought, as he walked to class.

The Next Day:

Jake stood patiently in front of the school. His cousin had asked him to meet her there at exactly 7:30am. He looked at his watch: it was nearly eight now! Where was she? Suddenly two hand covered his eyes as a familiar voice spoke.

" Guess who!"

Rose was walking towards the schools entrance when she saw her crush hugging a girl. Rose felt her blood boil at the sight. Who did this girl think she was? Jake had said that this girl was just a friend. _"Maybe he didn't want to hurt my feelings?"_ she thought briefly before the green-eyed monster of jealousy took over. This girl wasn't even nice looking. In fact she looked more like a boy. The girl had short dirty blonde hair, bright blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses and a filthy old ball cap on her head. She had on a grey t-shirt that had the words " I'm not a morning person" in bright red letters, and she had on a rather ratty and worn looking pair of jeans. Around her waist was a grey sweatshirt, and around her neck was a small pendant in the shape of a Chinese dragon. Slung over her shoulder was a dusty old satchel.

Rose narrowed her eyes and stormed over to them. She was finally get Jake to warm up to her and she was not about to let this new girl ruin all of her hard work. Once she finally got to them she cleared her throat and then in her most calm voice that she could muster she spoke.

"Morning Jake." Jake turned around and smiled.

" Oh, morning Rose. Didn't see you over there." He said. The girl behind him raised an eyebrow and snorted at him. Rose heard the words "yeah right" muttered by the new girl. Rose ignored her and decided to get some answers'.

" So, is this your girlfriend?" she asked silently begging for him to say no, for if this new girl was his girlfriend, Rose was sure her heart would break. What she got however shocked her. Jake gave her a look that said " Seriously?", then he began to laugh.

Rose frowned.

"What? What's so funny?" she asked slightly offended. After a few minutes Jake finally calmed down and spoke.

" Rose why in the world would I ever even consider dating my cousin?" he asked. Rose felt a wave of relief hit her first, Jake was still single, and then she was hit with a HUGE wave of embarrassment. She looked to the ground to avoid his gaze.

" Oh…..well….I …." She muttered. Jake was about to speak when his cousin decided to speak up.

" hey don't sweat it , it's not the worst thing to assume. So you must be Rose, My name's Ashley, Ashley Drake. Jake's my cousin. Nice ta meet ya." Ashley said while sticking out her hand. Rose smiled and shook it. Ashley smiled and gave a chuckle.

" Well, best be off. Got ta get my schedule and find my classrooms. Come on Tenderfoot , we'd best get a move on. It was nice meeting ya there Rosie. See ya around." Ashley said as she grabbed Jakes arm and hauled him into the building. Rose groaned and smacked her forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." She muttered.

It was going to be a LONG day.

Rose was starving when the lunch bell finally rang. As she entered the cafeteria she saw Jake and Ashley sitting at a table nearby. They were laughing about something. Just as she was about to go over to their table she saw Brad walk towards them with his gang of groupies.

_" uh oh, this isn't going to be good."_ She thought. She managed to finally get close to the table when she heard Brad speak.

"Hey Jerk Long, what's wrong to lame to ask a real girl out? Hahahahah." Brad said. Jake scowled and retorted angrily.

" Hey Brad isn't dangerous to use your entire vocabulary in one sentence?" he snapped back. Ashley snickered and tried to not laugh, but failed miserably. Brad snarled.

" What you just say you little freak?" Brad growled, but before he could even say another word a fist came into contact with his chin. Brad fell back with a yelp. Ashley had shot out of her seat and had sucker punched him as hard as she could.

Ashley grabbed the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up. She snarled. Her gaze was one that Rose recognized in a heartbeat. It was the gaze filled with disgust and rage. Brad whimpered in fear.

" Listen you little piece of shit, if you EVER insult MY COUSIN again, I will rip out your eyes, shove them down you god damn throat so you can watch as I tear your stinking carcass apart with my bear hands got it?" she said in a very dangerous tone. Brad nodded.

" Good. Now get out of my sight, or else." Ashley growled, then she quite literally threw Brad a few feet towards the door. She whirled around and saw the rest of Brads group stare at her.

"What? You got something to say?" she asked. Brads gang all but ran out the door.**(1)**

Ashley smirked and sat back down. Jake smiled and shook his head.

" You never were the one for talking things out." He said.

" Nah, talking is a waste on that worthless bimbo. Besides the asshole asked for it. Nobody insults my family and walks away with out a fight." Ashley said with pride.

Jake simply laughed.

Rose felt a knot rise in her throat. If Ashley could do that to Brad without even breaking a sweat , who was to say she wouldn't do the same to her? Rose shook her head, she was Hunts girl, a fearless warrior and dragon slayer, not a cowardly little girl who cried at the drop of a hat.

Besides Jake was worth facing Ashley's wrath.

A/N: revamped version of the old story. (1) I was writing this part based off of the scene in Lion king where Mufasa kicks the hyenas butts and the can't get away fast enough….Read and Review.


	2. School Daze

A/N: I do not own American Dragon Jake Long. I only own the story and the OC's and plot. Please review and tell me what you think.

Chapter 2: School Daze

Rose sighed and watched as Jake walked with Ashley down the hall to their next class, which it just so happened was her next class as well. Mythobiology with Professor Rotwood. Rose snorted. She already knew about mythical creatures, hell she fought a dragon for god sake. Rotwood couldn't tell a salamander from an ogre.

_" Well, at least I can sit next to Jake."_ She thought. She blushed at the very idea of being that close to him. She gathered her books and bolted to the classroom.

Ashley ground her teeth as she had to sit and listen to the BIGGEST pile of crap about her people. How could this idiot human male dare to even claim that she and Jake were cruel and vile monsters that killed for no reason. The only dragons that had ever even dared to do such evil things had been banished to the shadowlands. She had no idea how her cousin put up with these insults to their kind. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down before she did something foolish. ( such as set Rotwoods pants on fire.) She glanced over to Jake and saw that he was basically zoned out and most likely daydreaming. Finally she decided to put this foolish teacher on the spot. She raised her hand.

" Yes Ms. Drake? Vat is it?" The idiot man asked.

" Sir, not to sound rude or disrespectful, but are you absolutely sure that you have all your information right?" Ashley asked innocently. Rotwood glared briefly.

" Vhy vould you ask that?" he snapped.

" Well sir, my father is an expert on Mythobiology, and some of the facts your giving us don't quite make sense. How can you call all dragons evil if they we're just doing what came natural to them? It makes you seem very biased sir." She said with sincerity. Before Rotwood could even respond the bell rang for the end of the day. Ashley smirked and grabbed her bag and bolted out the door Jake not to far behind.

Rose was stunned by what she had heard Ashley ask. Why would she even bother to ask that. How could she not see that dragons were evil beast that deserved to be destroyed. But, a small part of her mind couldn't help but agree with Ashley. How could you call something evil, if it was just acting on it's instincts? Rose shook her head and headed for her locker. She never noticed Courtney come up behind her.

" Hey Rose, you feeling alright?" Her blonde friend asked. Rose jumped slightly at hearing her voice, and she wiped around.

" Yeah, why do you ask?" she said nervously. Courtney rolled her eyes and pointed to the direction Jake and Ashley were in.

" Your not upset that your guy is with that weirdo? Hello? You've been crushing on this guy for months and now your letting this freak show steal him away? What's up with you?" Courtney said angrily. Rose actually felt a giggle come out as she explained.

" Jake isn't dating her Court, that girl is his cousin. She just moved here and he promised to show her around all this week. She's actually really nice. And she scared the crap out of Brad so she's fine with me. And how is she a freak?" she asked. Courtney rolled her eyes.

" Uh, hello she plays football and stuff. She turned down half of the student body when they asked her out, boy and girl, and said she wasn't interested in dating and called it a waste of time. That's not normal Rose. How can she even be related to Jake?" Courtney asked. Rose frowned and thought about that, but remembered that Ashley was different and that she seemed happy with they way she was. But before she could say another word Jake and Ashley came up to them. Or , to be more precise, Ashley was dragging Jake by his arm over to her. Ashley had a sort of smirk on her face while Jake looked like a frightened animal. Then finally Ashley spoke up.

" Hey Rosie, My cousin here wants to know if ya'll go on a date with him tonight?"

Jake felt like crawling into a hole. Why did Trixie and Spud have to say anything about his crush on Rose? Rose was currently staring at the both of them, her eyes very wide. Ashley cleared her throat after a few minutes.

" Well? You gonna talk or just stand there all day?" she asked Rose. Jake felt his face turn red with embarrassment. He buried his face in his hands. How could this get any worse?

Rose blinked a few times as she tried to process what she had just heard. Jake want to go on a date with her? _"YES!"_ She thought. She felt her self grin.

" Well why didn't he just ask. I would love to." Jake's head shot up and he had a look of surprise and excitement as well as a bit of embarrassment on his face. Ashley smiled and slapped Jake on his back.

"See Tenderfoot, I told ya she'd say yes. He'll tell ya where ya can meet tonight." Ashley said after Jake had somewhat recovered from his shock. He then shook his head and frowned. He turned to Ashley and spoke.

" Ash, I have work tonight. Gramps needs me to do inventory…." He started, but Ashley folded her arms over her chest and glared.

"Gramps will be fine, I can do inventory for the night. YOU work to much. Now you either go on the date or go to work and be yelled at all night. What's it gonna be?" Ashley said, in a voice that clearly said, " Your going whether you want to or not.". Jake sighed and turned back to Rose.

" Uh,…. Well,….you want to see a movie , like around seven thirty tonight?" he asked softly. Rose grinned even wider.

" It's a date."  
>AN: Again I am sorry for having to repost this story on my new account, but I lost my password and email to the old one. Please review.


	3. Date Night part 1

A/N: I do not own the show American Dragon Jake Long, if I did the animator from season one would have stayed on the show and Rose would have never forgot Jake after Homecoming. Also when I am describing Jake and Ashley's, Gramps and other characters, dragon forms, I am referring to the Season one animation.

Chapter 3: Date Night

Rose practically broke down the door to her room after she got home. Normally after school she would have to go out into the field with her Uncle, but recently her aunt, the Huntress, or aunt Sally as she preferred to be called, had threatened that if her Uncle didn't let Rose have some time to act like a normal teenager she would personally hand him over to the dragons.

Aunt Sally had at one time been a normal person who had no knowledge of the magical world until a terrible tragedy took the life of one of her friends. The friend had been named Tracy, and was busy raising her twin daughters, until one night she and one of her daughters vanished from their home. The second girl had been found hurt and scared hiding under a bed. The father had been out of town. The house had been trashed and there had been blood everywhere. Heartbroken and angry, Sally joined the hunts clan and eventually married Rose's uncle. That had been over seven years ago.

Rose wondered why her aunt would have even considered turning her uncle over to the dragons. Lost in her thoughts as she headed towards her bathroom to get ready she failed to notice her aunt come into the room.

" Thinking hard or hardly thinking their Rosie dear?" Rose jumped and whipped around at the sound of Sally's voice. Her aunt laughed and Rose blushed in embarrassment.

" Oh, hey Aunt Sally…. sorry…I guess I was a little out of it." She said softly. Her aunt smiled.

" Let me guess, the skater boy you like finally asked you out?" she said smugly. Sally knew all to well how smitten her adoptive niece was with the boy. Rose had told her about him after the American dragon while fighting over a beetle injured her. (She had beaten her husband senseless for even allowing Rose to get a single cut let alone a sprained and cut up ankle.) From what Rose had told her, this skater was an all out gentleman and somewhat a goof. She even recalled Rose going to a dance with a boy named Brad, just to make the skater boy jealous enough to ask her out, only to have a Nix show up and ruin the dance, at least until the boy had asked Rose to dance with him. Rose had come home practically on cloud nine that night. Talking to her nonstop about how cute she thought he was. From what she could conclude, Rose was in love.

Rose blushed even harder and nodded.

" Yeah, we're going to go see a movie tonight…it was kind of funny how he asked me out though."

" Oh, how so?" Her aunt said with genuine curiosity. Rose chuckled.

" Well, his cousin had just moved here so he was showing her around and after school she dragged him over to me, and basically asked for him. He looked really embarrassed. He was SO CUTE." Rose said, having to force down the urge to squeal from excitement. Sally smiled.

" Well, I'm happy for you dear, but be home before midnight. I don't want your uncle to have to send out a search party… Again…..Alright?" Her aunt said.

"Okay, I'll let Jake know. I got to get ready. He'll be here to pick me up soon." Rose said with a smile.

Her aunt nodded and left the room. Rose bolted to her closest and pulled out a pink blouse and a pair of tight black pants. As she changed into her clothes she couldn't help but hope Jake would ask her to be his girlfriend after the date was over. She blushed at the very thought.

Rose thought about the day she had seen Jake for the first time, long before he had bumped into her. She had been busy talking with her friend Courtney and had caught a glimpse of something red. She had turned and saw a young Asian-American boy riding a skateboard with a devil-may care grin and a book bag on his back. She had watched as he performed some cool tricks while his two friends applauded.

She could not help but be interested…..

Jake was in an absolute panic. He had only been on one date in his entire life, of course his mom FORCED him to go out with Councilor Chang's granddaughter Mai Lee. That was THE WORST night of his life. He never really forgave his mom for that and even made her sign a written contract that she would never, EVER, interfere with his dating life again, even if it were for his own good. Extreme, yes, but necessary. Even his grandfather had agreed that Jake should be allowed to choose whom he dated.

Currently, he was double-checking with his Gramps to see if everything would be okay without him for the night. His Grandfather, while impressed by Jake's seriousness and concern, but was becoming irritated by the fact that his grandson was acting this paranoid. It was rather irritating.

" Gramps you're sure you don't need me to go on patrol tonight?" Jake asked once again. Lao Shi took a deep calming breath.

" Young dragon, your Uncle and cousin are capable to fill in for ONE night. You are not needed for patrol this night."

" But are you sur…"

" AYIA, GO ALREADY! (Random Chinese)" Jake leapt back and shot out the door.

" Okay Later G."

Ashley watched as Jake walked down the street towards the street where Rose lived. She felt a slight frown come to her face. It wasn't that she didn't want her cousin to have a girlfriend, but something just felt wrong. She shook her head and when down the stairs to get her patrol route from her grandfather.

" Hey Grandpa, what ya got for me and Dad tonight?" She asked. Lao Shi sighed and handed her a list.

" Since Jake is on his date you and your father are to patrol the city, and look out for any signs of the Hunts clan. If you see anything suspicious you are BOTH to report back here at once. Be back before midnight. You may go." He said with a tone that said there would be no room for arguments. Ashley nodded and closed her eyes and let her transformation begin.

Black and gold flames enveloped her body and covered her as she began to shift to her true form. As the flames vanish, where a half grown kid had stood now a tall, muscular black and gold dragon now stood. Her eyes were still their bright blue color and a long mane of brown spike like hair reached from the top of her head to the tip of her long tail. Her belly was the color of gold and her hide was as black as the night. Her wings were large and powerful and her wolf like ears flicked in search of sounds. Ram like horns sprouted from the back of her skull. She was a frightening sight to those who had never seen her in this form before.

" Don't worry Grandpa, I'll be careful. Love ya." She said as she began to walk up the stairs to the roof so that she could take off.

Ashley flew as silent as a ghost as she patrolled the city. As she did, her mind began to wander.

_" It's as beautiful as I remember."_ She thought. The lights of the city twinkled like stars. Her eyes filled with tears.

_"Oh, Sammy…"_ she whispered softly, her tears rolling down her scaly face. She shook her head after a moment.

_" No, I won't think about that. It's been seven years, it over. Time to move on."_ She thought, sadly, knowing deep in her heart that the memory that haunted her would never truly be over.

Jake took a deep breath and knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes he heard the sound of the door being unlocked. When it opened, Jake could have sworn his heart had stopped. Rose looked beautiful. If you could have listened to Jakes brain at this point you would hear a dial tone and then a voice say_" We're sorry but Jakes not here right now, leave your name and number and he will call you back."_

" So ready to go?" she asked. Jake shook himself out of his daze and tried to speak.

" Uh… I mean Yeah, totally. You, you l-look great!" he said, his voice cracking slightly. Rose giggled started to walk with him down the street.

" You don't look half bad yourself." She said. " Oh god am I really flirting with him?" she thought as she watched Jakes face turn a color red that outdid his red leather jacket. He began to fidget with his hands.

" Uh…uh…T-thanks. Uh, so what movie do you want to see?" he stammered.

" How about that new Harry Potter movie?" Rose asked, secretly overjoyed that she had this effect on him.

" Kay, we'd better get going. We don't wanna miss it." Jake said. He gently took her hand in his and led her to the theater.

Rose felt her heart jump into her throat. Jake's hand was soft and warm. She had to once again resist the urge to squeal. So far this was the best night of her life.

It wasn't to long until they got to the theater, and Jake bought their tickets and a bag of popcorn. As they took their seats, Rose couldn't help but hope that she would get the chance to snuggle up next to Jake when the movie started. Her night couldn't get any better.

As the theater was starting to fill, Rose took a glance at Jake. He was blushing somewhat and was trying his hardest not to look at her. Then she saw what looked to be a small scar behind his left ear. It was faint, but still visible. While she wanted to ask where it came from, she didn't want Jake to know that she had been staring at him.

That would have been embarrassing.

End of Part 1

A/N: I will repost the other chapters ASAP. Read and review.


	4. Date Night part 2

A/N: You know the drill… And If your wondering who Sammy is, you'll have to think hard and try to sort out the clues from the last chapter and this one.

Also LOTS of Jake and Rose fluff! Please read and review.

As Jake and Rose took their seats in the back row, Rose couldn't help but notice how cute Jake looked in his jacket. The bright color really brought out his soft brown eyes and the strange green highlights in his jet-black hair.

_" He has it styled to look like flames." _She thought. _" I guess it fits with his skater look, weird, but he makes it look HOT."_ She was extremely grateful for the dark sanctuary the theater provided. As the movie began to play Rose decided to make her move. As the frightening parts of the film began her plan came into play. She grasped Jakes hand and felt him jump slightly form the sudden contact. She grinned and gave his hand a slight squeeze. She heard Jake gulp slightly. Did she make him THAT nervous?

" Hmmmmm…that's good to know." She thought with a sly smile. She then decided to see what else Jake would let her do. After debating whether to or not, she set her head on his shoulder. She felt him freeze up and could have sworn she heard him mutter, _" Keep it together". _ She giggled and snuggled closer.

XXX

Jake tried to keep his heart rate at a normal pace, but doing so proved hard when Rose decided to rest her head on his shoulder. God was she trying to give him a heart attack? He thought that his first date with Rose would just be them talking and getting to know each other a little better, but at this rate he'd die of shock before the night was done.

_" God, what have I done to deserve this? This is the BEST night of my life." _He thought.

XXX

Rose sighed as the theater began to light back up. As she and Jake stood up, she didn't relinquish the hold on his hand. She looked at his flushed face, and grinned. Her night just kept getting better. As they left the theater Jake suggested that they go and get something to eat.

" So…where do you want to go?" Jake asked her nervously. Rose giggled.

" How about we get a pizza?" she suggested. Jake grinned and gave her a mock bow.

" After you, m'lady." He said as he held opened the door. She walked out and then pulled him along by his hand, which she had still yet to let go of. As they both walked down the street towards a small Pizza parlor, Rose glanced slightly at Jake and saw his relaxed expression. She could not help but be fascinated by him. The way he would smile made her feel as if she would melt.

" Maybe I could try and kiss him after he walks me home?" she thought as a deep blush came across her face. The very idea of having Jake is her first kiss made her heart pound in both fear and happiness. But, what if he wanted to just be friends?

"Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there." She thought. After a short moment of silence Jake finally spoke up.

" So…. some day huh?" he asked softly. Rose grinned and giggled.

"Yeah, so does your cousin always ask girls out for you?" She asked coyly. Jake groaned.

" No…she…well, lets just say she likes to play matchmaker, plus Spud opened his big mouth and told her about my crush on you...I just said that out loud didn't I?" he stammered. Rose grinned even wider.

" You have a crush on me? Since when?" She asked innocently, though knowing all too well that he had been crushing on her for some time, mainly due to the fact that whenever she was around Jake failed to pay attention to his surroundings, resulting in him walking into wall, locker doors, **(A/N: I have done that. It hurts like Hell.)** Falling down stairs and etc. Not exactly subtle. Jake gulped and pulled at the collar of his jacket. When he spoke his voice cracked slightly.

"s..since before the dance. You know the one where you went with Brad? Since then." He admitted looking down at his shoes. Rose felt her heart beat faster than it really should have been, and felt a deep blush come across her face.

_"YES,YES, YES! HE ACUTALLY LIKES ME!"_ she screamed in her mind. This was exactly what she had been hoping to hear from him. Without any hesitation at all she grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him to her. Then she gave him a kiss on his cheek. Jake's eye's went wide and his face turned bright red. Rose pulled away and blushed hard herself. While they both remained quite for the rest of the walk to the pizza parlor they were both thinking the exact same thought.

"YES!"

(Meanwhile)

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ashley flew around the skyline for a short while before her roving mind decided to settle. Thoughts of old times flowed through. Painful and sad memories of a life that she once had, a life that she would never have again. And it was all her fault.

_A little girl sat on the floor of a small two-bedroom apartment playing with a toy dragon and a princess doll. Her hair, a golden brown, with small streaks of pale blond in it. Her eyes were blue and her hair was in a small ponytail. Behind her sitting on a couch watching her was a beautiful woman with the same blue eyes and brown and blonde hair. And sitting in the woman's lap was a small black and gold dragon, curled up in a ball and falling fast asleep. The woman was singing a song. _

_Forever and a day_

_That's how long I'll stay_

_By your side _

_I'll be your hearts guide_

_Forever and a day_

_Now close your eyes_

_And dream of the skies_

_Forever and a day_

_Sleep well my love_

_As quiet as the dove_

_Forever and…_

" A day…" Tears rolled down Ashley's face. No amount of time would ever make her forget. She would always remember.


	5. Date Night part 3

A/N: Jake Long is Property of Disney, blah, blah, blah, you know the drill. If any of your wonderful readers have become curious please review and I will give you (limited) hints of the next chapter. Right, on with the show. BTW, Ashley's Dad will be introduced in this chapter.

Jake felt like he was flying. He had gotten a kiss from the girl of his dreams. Nothing could ruin his night. After finishing their pizza , he and Rose had agreed to take a short walk through Central Park before he took her home. They had just past the statue of an old sled dog, when their lovely moment was ruined.

"HEY JERK LONG!" a voice bellowed from behind them. Jake and Rose both groaned as they recognized the owner.

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An angry Brad Harrison stormed over to them. Jake sighed and turned around.

"What do you want now Harrison?" he asked irritably. He was SO not in the mood to deal with this asshole's crap.

" what the hell are you doing with MY girlfriend?" the blonde jock snarled. Jake's eyes narrowed.

" I'm treating her like a lady ought to be treated. With respect. Something I highly recommend you try." Jake snapped. Rose's eyes widened. If Jake wasn't careful, Brad would do serious harm to him. Brad snorted and turned to her and gave a sleazy smile.

" Hey Rosie babe, why don't you ditch the zero and hang with a hero?" He said. Rose felt her anger well up in her chest. She grabbed Jake's arm and pulled him close.

" I'm already with the hero you zero. YOU, ditched me for another girl, and left me alone and humiliated. Why the hell would I ever want to date you? Jake's a thousand, no a million times better than you, you asshole!" She snapped. Brad stiffened. Jake smiled at Rose.

"really?" he asked her. Rose looked at him and nodded before turning back to the blonde bully. Brad snarled.

" What's he got that I don't?" He asked. Rose snorted.

" Well, lets see. He's kind, honest, charming, brave, funny, smart, and he actually takes baths. He's always looking out for others, and he thinks of how his actions affect others. He isn't a thug, and he is the single most amazing guy I have ever met. While you are the most pig-headed, rude, sexist, violent, crude and obnoxious loser I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Now get lost before I call the cops." She snapped. Brad just stood there for a moment before he snatched Jake up by his jacket.

" You made me look like a loser!" Brad growled. Jake snorted.

" Trust me you didn't need my help for that, you did that all on your own."

" Why you little…" But before Brad could finish he was jerked back by his arm. He wiped around and shouted.

" What the hell is wrong …..with…you….." he stammered as he looked up at the person who had interrupted him. In front of him stood a tall man with brown eyes and jet-black hair. He was wearing a white shirt with a leather jacket and a pair of torn up jeans and scuffed up biker boots. He glared down at Brad.

" Why are you bothering MY only nephew? You got some sort of problem boy?" The man growled. Brad shrank back. The man snarled slightly.

" You know I ought to file assault charges. You can go to jail for a long time for that kid. Now get lost, before I haul your ass down to the cops. GOT IT?" the man growled. Brad yelped and nodded then without another word bolted off in the opposite direction in which he had come. The man then turned to Jake and Rose. Jake smiled.

" Thanks Uncle Justin." He said. Rose was stunned. This man was Ashley's father? He looked nothing like her, but then again Ashley may have taken after her mother. She shook her head when the man spoke.

" No problem there kiddo. What kind of Uncle would I be if I didn't help ma favorite nephew?" Justin said with a smirk.

"I'm your only nephew." Jake said drolly. Rose snickered. Justin turned to her and smiled.

" So, your on a date? Hope your mom didn't set ya up with one of her friends daughters again. Last I heard that was a fiasco. Your mom said you came home with a black eye."

" UNCLE JUSTIN!" Jake said in horror. Rose frowned. Jake had been on a date before? With who? Justin smiled.

" Well Jake I have to get back to work. See you later sport. Have a nice night, the both of ya." He said as he began to walk away. Rose turned to Jake, her expression slightly hurt.

" You,…been on a date before?" she asked sadly. Jake looked at her with shock and sadness.

" It wasn't by choice. My mom made me go on a stupid date with this psycho girl who didn't bother to tell my mom she already had a boyfriend. It was the WORST night of my life. I had to take out a restraining order against her. I still have nightmares. You, well, your special. Your not like any girl I've met. Your, smart, your nice, your beautiful…Why am I still talking I am such a spaz. He said blushing hard. Rose felt her heart sped up.

"_He thinks I'm beautiful? He is so sweet!" _She thought.

"I….if, you want to call it off, I understand." Jake said sadly. Rose felt her heart flutter slightly. He look so cute like that. She smiled and grabbed hold of his hand. Jake looked up at her , slightly confused.

" Well, I guess I can't be mad at you for that. So, how about we finish our first date?" She said softly. She then kissed his cheek. Jake turned a bright red once again. After they both returned to their normal skin coloring, Jake spoke up.

" Uh, well, ….do you, er, maybe wanna hang out with me and my friends sometime?" He asked shyly.

"YES!" Rose said, a bit too quickly. Catching her self she smiled. " How about we all go to the winter solstice dance?" she suggested sweetly. Jake gave a goofy grin and nodded.

" Yeah, that would be great. Well, I better get you home before your family hunts me down with pitchforks." Jake said with a smile and a laugh. He took Rose's hand in his and guided her back towards the parks entrance.

It was only a sort walk back to her Uncle's home and Rose silently wished her Aunt had let her stay out a little bit longer. Her first date with Jake had been the best night of her life so far. When they both got to the door she turned and faced him.

" Thanks Jake. I had a great time." She said before she leaned closer to him and kissed him on his mouth. Jake's eyes went far wider than they should have. His mind went blank suddenly as he tried to process what had just happened. Rose just giggled as she turned around.

" Good night Jake. See you at school." She said coyly as she went into the house. She shut the door and leaned against it and let out a soft squeal. She had finally gotten her first kiss!

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Jake stood still for a few seconds. He gingerly put a hand on his mouth. Then a wide and goofy grin crossed his face. He walked away from the house and after a few blocks, he went into an ally way and shifted into his dragon form. Then, without anymore restraint, he shot into the air and let out a loud yell.

" SHE KISSED ME! WHAHOOOOOOOOOO!"

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A/N: Next chapter be longer. Please review on each chapter.


	6. Secrets out

**A/N: This will provide some more clues into Ashley's past. Also, MORE Jake and Rose fluff.**

Ashley flew back to the shop and landed on the roof with a sigh. While it had been a peaceful night, it had allowed her time to bring back memories that she really wished she could forget. She dragged her tired body inside and alerted her father and grandfather that she had come home.

" Gramps, Dad, I'm home. Nothing came up. I'm gonna go to bed. Good night." She called down the stairs and then she turned and wandered to her small bedroom. She pulled off her soiled school clothes and then pulled on her nightshirt and sweatpants and crawled into the small bed. She looked out at the street and sighed before shutting her eyes. Then the nightmares began.

_A small black and gold dragon was trying to braid the hair of a young brown and blonde haired girl. Frustrated and upset the little dragon squeaked in anger at her inability to braid the girl's hair. The girl turned around and smiled._

" _Don't worry Ashy mommy can braid it for me, but thank you for trying." The girl said. The little dragon snorted and then sniffed._

" _I can't do nuffing cause of my claws. How does daddy do it? I can't even tie my shoes. It's not fair." Ashley said, crossing her scaly arms. The little girl frowned and then hugged the upset dragon._

" _Don't worry, mommy said that you just hafta practice like cousin Jakey does with Grandpa. And I'll help too." She said. Ashley sniffed and smiled._

" _Really? You'd do that for me?" she asked. The girl smiled and nodded vigorously._

" _Uh huh, cause that's what sister's are supposed to do. Mommy said so. And Auntie Susan said that you'll get to turn into a human like mommy and me when we're big girls." The little girl said. Ashley smiled and returned the hug._

" _You're the greatest sister ever Sammy….You're my best friend in the whole world." She said._

" _You're my best friend in the whole world too, and we'll always be together." Sammy said._

"_yeah forever."_

_Suddenly Sammy vanished.. Darkness surrounded Ashley. _

"_SAMMY WHERE ARE YOU?" she screamed as she ran through the darkness. Suddenly a man with a skull appered and began to chase her. She screamed and then tripped. The man came closer and gave a horrible laugh…_

Ashley bolted up out of her bed, breathing hard, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head and then after regaining her breath placed her face in her hands and cried.

" I'm so sorry Sammy. I wasn't strong enough."

**A few weeks later….**

Jake flew around in happy circles in the late afternoon sun. His first date with Rose had been a complete success. He had gotten a kiss from the girl of his dreams and he was taking her to the schools winter dance. He wasn't even fully aware he was being watched.

Hidden in the shadow, a small figure hid. Hunts girl was on the prowl.

Thorn, watched with confusion as the American dragon flew around. She could see the goofy smile on his muzzle. He had never been this distracted before and it was somewhat unsettling. But, being a hunter she just shook it off. He was distracted and completely unaware of her presence. She grinned , she would finally slay the dragon and be free of the clan. Which meant more time for her crush.

Just as she was about to charge up her staff her eyes caught a glimpse of black and gold shoot towards the red dragon. What happened next was a shock.

Ashley snarled as she saw Jake flying around like some love-struck puppy. She flew up towards him and roared.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR….." she bellowed. Jake yelped and fell and landed with a loud and painful sounding thump. Ashley landed next to him and then grabbed him by his tail and hoisted him up.

" Damn it Jake, what the hell do you think your doing? The Hunts clan could be anywhere and here you are flying around like some lovesick yearling unicorn. Do you want to wind up a pair of boots? Damn it Jake wake the hell up and pay some freaking attention to your goddamn surroundings. Losing Sammy was bad enough, but I will NOT lose you to. Get you head in the game." She growled. Jake shrank back and shifted into his human form.

" Well sorry, but I just got my first kiss from the girl of my dreams. Excuse me for being a little excited. Yeesh." He snapped. Ashley growled and smacked him in the back of his head.

" Jake , forget the damn girl and FOCUS! No girl is more important than your duty. You have to stop the Hunts man once and for all, or do you what the same thing that happened to me an dad happen to your sister and mom? Well?" She growled. Jake visibly flinched and mumbled.

"no….." he muttered. Ashley snorted.

" Good. Now get your lazy draconic ass in the air and stay focused. I'll see you at dinner." With that said she whipped around and took off leaving a now depressed Jake behind.

He sighed and shifted back into his dragon form speaking sadly, and softly to himself.

" Great, I FINALLY get Rose , the girl I fall head over claws for, to go out with me, and now I get my ass chewed out cause of it. Being the American Dragon royally sucks." With that he took back off into the air.

Rose sat there stunned by what she had just seen. Her boyfriend was the American Dragon? How could she have not seen this? As she thought of this a second thought came to mind.

Jake was crazy about her. Which meant he had no idea of who she really was. If he was to ever find out, he would most likely turn her over to the dragon council. Her only option at the moment was to break it off with him. The thought mad her slightly sick. She would break his heart if she did that, but how could she risk her identity by staying with him. She felt so conflicted.

On one hand, she was head over heels for the boy, but she also was destined to slay him. She just couldn't quit the clan. They were the only family she had. But, Jake really and truly cared for her. She had to think this through. She had to tell someone, but whom?

Aunt Sally…..

Rose smacked her self for not think of that sooner. Aunt Sally was different. She really cared for her and did anything to protect her. How would this be any different?

She got onto her feet and ran back to the Huntsman's house.

Sally was busy changing the sheets on Roses bed when she heard a distressed panting sound from behind her. She whipped around and saw Rose standing there, her eyes red and her breath ragged.

" Rosie what's wrong honey?" She asked. Rose took a deep breath and spoke.

" Aunt Sally, could we go somewhere Uncle can't hear us? It's kind of for your ears only." Rose said.

" Course honey. Come with me." Sally said as she took her very upset adoptive niece to her soundproof meditation room. Grabbing two chairs and then locking the door, she and Rose both sat down.

" Alright honey, what's wrong. Did Jake break up with you?" She asked. Rose took a ragged breath.

" No, but…he…..He's the American Dragon." Rose said slowly, trying hard not to cry. Sally was shocked.

" Honey are you sure?" Rose nodded.

" I saw him shift into his human form. I don't know what to do." She sobbed. Sally frowned and embraced her currently emotional charge. Suddenly a small smile came over her face.

" Honey, do you really care about him?" Rose nodded.

" Your sure? You honestly love him?" Rose blushed , shrugged and looked away. Sally smiled as an idea formed in her head.

" Well, then the only thing we need to do is get you to know the real Jake. Both his human and Dragon half. Then we'll come up with a plan." Rose looked at her skeptically.

" How do I do that. I highly doubt he'd trust me when he's a dragon." Sally smirked and rolled up the sleeve of her baggy sweater. Dangling on her wrist was a very rare and very valuable dream charm bracelet.

" Use this. Take a peek into his dreams and memories and find out what you can about him. If you don't like what you see, we slay him. If you do like what you see, we'll find a way to get you out of the clan and into his arms. Take this, then just go to sleep. You'll figure it out." Sally said, as she took off the bracelet. She handed it to Rose and then went to the door.

" And don't worry. As far as you and I are concerned, this conversation never happened." Sally said with a wink. Rose smiled, and clutched the charm.

" _Well, Jake, I guess I'll see you in your dreams. This could be fun." _She thought.

**A/N: TBC: Next Chapter: Baby Dragons and broken hearts. I'll update soon. R+R.**


	7. Memories part 1

**A/N: I always wondered if Jake had his powers as a baby, but could only control them as a teenager. In this fic he has his powers already.**

Rose wandered through the dream realm halls in search of her target. After what felt like years she finally found it. A large door with the name "Jacob Luke Long." Written in big black letters. She grinned and pushed open the door.

Jake's dream was of him meditating in a meadow, while listening to some loud music. Rose snuck past him with the stealth of a cat. She looked around and found a small tear, reveling a bright green light.

" Maybe that's where his memories are." She thought. She snuck towards it and then leapt through. No sooner than she had done so, she was thrown into a memory.

Rose was standing in a hospital room. In the nearby bed was a woman holding a small blue blanket covered bundle. She was cooing and singing in a language Rose realized was Dragon tongue. Rose smiled as she realized what was going on. She had stepped into the memory of the day Jake was born. She walked up to the bed and peered at the bundle, expecting to see a human form, only to be shock when she saw a small newborn dragon gently snoozing in the woman's arms. Suddenly, Rose felt the urge to reach out and cuddle the baby dragon. He was far too cute.

He was a bright red with a small black and green frill going from the top of his head all the way down to his tail. His paws were small and fragile looking. He looked so vulnerable.

" Aaaaaaah, he looked so cute back then." Rose thought.

_Suddenly the door to the room opened and a short old man and a fat and wrinkly dog entered the room. The woman looked up and smiled._

" _Hi dad. Guess you can officially call yourself a grandfather now." The woman said softly. The old man smiled._

" _Yes, it would seem so my daughter. What is the young ones name?" the old man asked._

" _Jacob Luke Long. The first dragon to be born in America…. dad, what if Jake loses his powers because of Jonathan being human?" the woman said suddenly worried._

"Why would he lose his powers because of his dad?" Rose thought. Maybe Jake was considered an abomination by other dragons for being half human. Suddenly, the dog spoke, in a thick New Jersey accent.

" _Don't worry about it Susan. The kids in the clear. Councilor Andam is coming here to take a look at the kid. He wants to see if the kid is gonna be healthy enough for dragon training when he's older." He said. After that he got up on the bed and looked at the baby dragon._

" _Awwww, he's cuter than a pup. Choocie choochie agoo." He said while tickling the now wide-awake Jake. Suddenly with out warning Jake snapped his small jaws onto the dog's hand._ Rose winced.

"Oh, that has to hurt." She thought.

"_YEEOOOOOOWCH!" the dog yelped. Jake let the hand go and gave a giggle, then a short burst of babbling sounds. The old man chuckled , then shifted into his huge blue dragon form. Jake gave a small squeak of shock and buried his face into his mother's chest. The old man chuckled and lowered his face down to Jakes level. Shyly, Jake took a peek. Then gave a curious growl. He gingerly reached out and put his tiny paws on the mans snout. The old man smiled and gave a gentle snort, making Jake giggle and squirm. His grandfather then tenderly picked him up out of his mother's arms and taking a single claw, gently tickled Jakes scaly belly. He squealed and giggled with delight. After a few moments , Jake gave a tired yawn and his grandfather returned him to his mother's arms._

_Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a Dark skinned man entered the room. The old man bowed._

" _Councilor Andam." He said with respect. The councilor returned the gesture._

" _Lao Shi, I assume your grandchild has been retuned to his mother?" He asked._

" _Yes. He has been given a clean bill of health despite arriving a month earlier than expected. He is a strong boy." Lao Shi said with obvious pride. The councilor smiled._

Rose was shocked. Jake had been born a month early? That would explain his short stature. He wasn't done growing yet.

"Maybe he'll get bigger as he gets older. I wonder how tall he would be?" she thought with a blush.

" _Well, we shall see if he will be suitable for training. May I see the child, Susan?" the councilor asked._

" _He just woke up, so he might be a little fussy." She warned as she tenderly handed Jake to the Councilor. The councilor reached into his robes and pulled out a small charm crystal. He then dangled it in front of Jake. At first the crystal did nothing, but then a brilliant red and gold glow came out of the charm. The councilor smiled._

" _The boy will be ready for training. On his thirteenth year we shall decide who his master shall be. I must return to the Council and report. I bid you and your family my best wishes." With that said the Councilor handed the now sleeping Jake back to him mother. The councilor left and shut the door. His grandfather smiled and spoke softly._

" _You will be a great warrior one day young dragon. Just as your Grandmother and Great grandfather were. Sleep well my grandson."_

The memory faded and a new one came into focus. Rose was now inside the shop Jakes grandfather owned. Sitting in a corner surrounded pillows and blanket sat a year old Jake in his human form.

"Oh, He is so adorable." Rose thought.

_Lao Shi entered the room, smiled and shifted into his dragon form. He grabbed a clipboard and a pen, then he walked towards Jake, and sat down near him. Jake's attention became totally focused on his grandfathers long tail. Suddenly , he sneezed and a sudden curtain of flames engulfed him._

Rose gasped. Then she relaxed as she remembered that was what happened when a dragon shifted into their true form.

_The flames disappeared and a baby dragon was left. Still focused on his grandfather's tail, Jake tried to stand up. After a few moments he got onto all four. Then tenderly he took a step, then another. After a few tries he was walking , well stumbling really, and then he crouched down. Growling softly he pounced and landed on his goal. His grandfather chuckled, then gently flipped Jake onto his back and then tickled him with the tip of his tail. Jake giggled and rolled over and grabbed the blue tail and hugged it. Then he gave a loud yawn and curled himself into a tiny ball. Lao Shi smiled. He gently picked Jake up and carried him over to the pillows. He set the now sleeping dragon onto them, then cover Jake with a small blue blanket._

Rose could hear a soft purring come from the sleeping dragon.

" Hmmmmm, so he purrs in his sleep. Cute." She thought.

Soon the next memory faded into focus. Jake was in his small dragon form and was clinging to his grandfathers leg as they both walked up to a man Rose recognized was a younger version of Jakes Uncle Justin, and a woman with brown and blonde hair. Clinging to the woman's legs was a little girl with brown and blonde hair and bright glacier blue eyes. On the other leg a small gold and black dragon with very small goat like horns.

" Jake never mentioned Ashley has a sister. I wonder why?" Rose thought. It was fairly obvious that the woman was Ashley's mother, but the little human girl looked almost identical to Ashley's human form. Aside from having longer hair and a more feminine shape to her face the girl shared the same eye color and curious yet knowing gaze that Ashley seemed to wear.

_Jake peered out from behind his grandfather's leg and gave a curious squeak. He then let go of the leg and waddled over to where Ashley and the little girl were. He then cocked his head and gave a friendly purr. Ashley mimicked and then swatted at him with a squeak. Then both girls let go of their mother's legs and began to play with Jake. They romped and talked one another for a few hours until the sun was in the middle of the sky. Eventually they were worn out and waddled over to the shade of a large tree. Jake curled up and soon was purring, then was joined by Ashley, who piled on top of him and then the little girl who leaned against them both._

" Oh my god that is SO cute…No wonder Ashley is so protective of Jake…Now I know him a lot better than before…he is so sweet…I wonder what other memories he has?" Rose thought.

The next memory came into focus. It was in Central park. Jake was playing with a young version of Trixie and Spud. They were no more than seven years old.

Rose suddenly gasped as she realized that she knew exactly which memory this was: The day she and Jake had first met.

_Jake was busy chasing after a soccer ball that had gotten away from him. He never noticed that someone had walked out in front of him. He walked right into a little blonde hair girl._

"_Ouch, oh, sorry. Are you okay?" He asked before he looked up. When he did he gave a soft gasp. The little girl groaned._

" _Yeah, are you okay?" she asked._

"_Yeah. So…what's your name?" Jake asked his hands behind his back._

" _I'm Rose Brier. What's your name?" the girl asked with a giggle. Jake blushed and looked down at his shoes._

"_Jake Long." He said softly. Young Rose giggled. Then she noticed the soccer ball._

" _Hey do you want to play with me?" she asked._

"_Yeah. We can play with my best friends. That way we can have four players for our…." But before he could finish a loud shout sounded._

"_Jake, its time to go home." Jake frowned and sighed._

"_Sorry, but my moms says I have to go home now. Maybe we could play tomorrow?" he said hopefully. Rose frowned and sighed sadly._

" _I can't. My auntie says I have to go to school tomorrow. I'm sorry." She said. Jake sighed._

" _Oh, okay. Well, bye. It was nice meeting you Rose." He said as he ran back towards his mother. Young Rose waved at him and then walked over to the bench where her aunt was sitting._

_Jake ran up to his mom. His mother smiled and picked him up._

" _Did you make any new friends today?" she asked. Jake smiled._

" _Yep, and I like her too." He said softly._

Rose felt a blush bloom over her face. Now she knew there was no way she could break up with Jake. He was the best guy any girl could have ever asked for. He was a dragon with a pure soul. While he did have his flaws he was always learning how to overcome his challenges, that much she knew.

" Jake sure is different than what Uncle said dragon were like…..Maybe we were all wrong about them….maybe we're the monsters…Aunt Sally was right…I…I think I love him…." She thought. With a grim expression she made a vow.

" I will never slay a dragon."

_**TBC**_

**A/N: If your confused, the words that are in Italics are the memories and the regular type is Rose and her thoughts. The next chapter will be dark. Be warned. Till next time.**


	8. Memories part 2

**A/N: this is part 2 of chapter 7. Also, to those of you who think my OCs are Mary Sue's…Shove your flames in a place where the sun don't shine and don't let the doorknob hit ya where the god lord split ya on the way out. On with the show.**

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Rose watched as several more memories were played. She watched as Jake witness the birth of his sister, first started school, when he found out he was not allowed to tell anyone of his secret., and then saw as he was told that he was to be the very first American Dragon, and would someday have to be a part of the dragon council. All of these memories made Rose realize that Jake's life was far harder than it needed to be.

" Wow, and I thought my life was hard. Only seven years old and he didn't get a choice in the fact that he was going to be a guardian to all the United States. And I only made things harder. He's stronger than I'll ever be." She thought. Suddenly, a new memory surfaced.

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_Jake was walking with his mother towards his cousin's house to celebrate the twin girls eighth birthday. He held his mother's hand and was smiling._

" _You think Ashley and Sammy will like the presents I got them?" he asked._

" _I'm sure they'll love them honey." His mother said. Jake smiled and they continued to walk towards the house.._

_When they reached the house however, they both realized something was very wrong. The front door was kicked in and the front windows were broken._

"_Mom…..what's wrong? Auntie Tracy never leaves the door open." Jake asked. His mother looked panicked. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number._

"_Dad, its me. Look, call the council, and then get over to Justin's house ASAP. Something's wrong. And Dad, hurry." She then closed her phone, then turned to Jake._

" _Honey, stay close to me okay?" she said. Jake nodded._

_They both entered the house, Jake clinging to his mother's leg horrified by what he saw. The small lying room was all but torn to shreds, and blood was everywhere. Glass and bits of broken furniture were scattered everywhere. Jake's mother called out._

" _Tracy? Sam? Ashley? Where are you?" there was no answer. Jake whimpered. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice coming from behind the overturned sofa._

" _Help….." Jake immediately bolted to the sofa and tried to shove it aside, though to no avail. Jake then shifted into his dragon form, then using his claws tore at the couch. After a few tense minutes he found the owner of the voice. Lying bloody and hurt, was a little black and gold dragon girl._

" _MOM! I FOUND ASHLEY!" Jake yelled. His mother bolted over to him and she gasped. She bent down and scooped up the little dragon._

" _Ashley, what happened? Where's your mom and sister?" She asked. Ashley whimpered._

" _A bad man took them. He said mommy was a traitor, and he called her a bad word. Then he said if he couldn't have her then daddy couldn't either. Then he tried to grab Sammy, so I bit him. He hit me and then he threw me. I can't member anything else. I couldn't save Mommy or Sammy. I'm a bad dragon." She cried. Jake's mom hugged her then pulled away to look her in the eye._

" _Honey, do you remember what this bad man looked like?" She asked the frightened girl._

" _He had a skull thingy on his head and he smelled like blood and he talked funny. And he had a funny glowing stick. He hit me with it." She whimpered. Jake's mother had tears on her face._

" _Come on, me and Jake will take you to your dad. Hang on…..Jake come on. We have to go." Jake nodded and shifted back to his human form. Then both he , his mother and the injured Ashley ran out of the house._

Rose was horrified. Jake had not lost one, but two members of his family, and nearly lost a third. She knew , just by the amount of blood and debris, that this attack had been done by her Uncle. Tears fell down her face. Anger surged through her. Her uncle had hurt her boyfriend, all because a girl married someone other than him.

" I'll make you pay for this Uncle. I promise that the next breath you take will be your last."

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Ashley flew as silent as the breeze. She knew the area she was in far to well. After a few minutes of scanning she finally found what she had been looking for. She landed on the roof of the now abandoned building. Tears streamed down over her black scales. She wandered over to the skylight window that her father had put in years ago. The same window she and Sammy would look out every night to look at the stars. The last place she ever spoke to her. The last place that held on to her memory with an iron grip. After a moment of grim silence, she spoke.

" I'm so sorry Sammy,…I tried to save you and mom, but…..I..I just…I just wasn't strong enough. I failed you. You always were there to save me…..and I failed to save you….I'm so sorry, so very sorry….. I love you both. But I can't keep doing this… I have to let you go. ….I'll never forget you. …..Goodbye." She turned, and taking a deep breath, took off into the night, and away from her past….. Forever.

A/N: Okay due to a few older reviews that asked if Rose was Sammy, here's your answer. No. Rose is not related to Ashley. Sammy is Ashley's twin sister. Rose has no memory of her family in this story, so she is not related to Ashley in any way. Read and review. Chapter 9 will be up in a few days.


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